Digimon After Story
by NekoKeira-chan
Summary: For Tai and his friends, the time of adventure must now be passed on to their children. But will they be strong enough to bear the burden their parents faced so long ago? TEMPORARILY DISCONTINUED! Sorry... I'm working on another multi-chap... D:
1. Chapter 1 And so it begins

**Digimon – After Story**

**Episode 1 – And So It Begins…**

_*DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this story. Absolutely nothing…except for the DigiDestined Children and the Plot. :) Digimon belongs to Toei :D  
><em>

Message from Keira: Hi guys! I'm so glad you found my story :) And now that you're here… You cannot escape! -death glare- You must now read and review. Haha I'm kidding ;) But reading and reviewing are very much appreciated :D I'd love to hear both negative and positive feedback. Whoo! First fan fic ever :D Thanks for your time. See yah!

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><p><strong>SHIBUYA, TOKYO, JAPAN<strong>

Thunder and lightning struck, the city of Shibuya was in complete darkness. A young girl, around the age of 10, looked up at the sky. She glared into the dark and mysterious looking clouds while droplets of rain rolled down her rosy cheeks.

"It's time…" She mumbled under her breath. Indeed, it was time. Time for the world to change, it was time for her adventure to begin.

Rushing down the street, the girl had a coat on but her lavender hair shyly showed itself. She dodged and ran past civilians to get to where she needed to go. She halted in front of a large group of people. Above the crowd was a gigantic screen broadcasting the news. News about the thunderstorm had spread all over Japan.

All of the sudden, a rustle could be heard from her bag. Then, an ear popped out. It was not a human ear, nor an animal's ear. It was elongated like a rabbit's, but sphere like. Its coat was shiny and it was purple and blue in colour. The lavender haired girl shoved the strange ear back into the bag without once turning away from the huge screen.

**"Breaking News: A thunderstorm has mysteriously appeared over Shibuya. Scientists and meteorologists are baffled, as there is no disturbance in the wind pattern around Japan. The lightning, however, seems to be situated near the Shibuya station…"**

Shibuya station. That was it. There was no need for the child to hear anymore, she knew where she was going. She ran once more, faster than before. No longer dodging, she was now shoving. This girl was desperate to get to the station.

She halted once again. She was staring at the station like it was the only thing in the world. The ear popped up again, this time there were two. A head came out as well. It was now clear that this creature was a Lunamon. Since this girl is accompanied by a digimon, it is obvious that she is a DigiDestined. If a DigiDestined is here, then the Digital World must be in danger.

The city turned dark in almost an instant. All the city's power was out. Amidst all the darkness, a shining portal glowed brighter than the sun. The young girl squinted her eyes as she approached the portal. She reached out her hand while holding a strange gadget, a Digivice, and a strong gust of wind suddenly came her way. Her hood was blown back and you could now see her face. She had a pale complexion, bright red cheeks, blood red lips and beautiful violet eyes. After the strong gust of wind, she and the portal vanished. Leaving the city in total darkness.

* * *

><p>This beautiful girl was no longer in Shibuya or anywhere in Japan. She, as you may have guessed, had entered the Digital World. She was in middle of a dessert now, nothing around but digital tumbleweeds. Also, passing through the portal made several minor changes to her appearance. The school uniform she wore just before entering the portal was now a long, flowing white dress. Her brown coat has transformed into an elegant silk one. Her eyes were covered with light eye shadow that matched her complexion and her hair was sparkling, as if crushed diamond had been sprinkled over her head. The most noticeable of all the changes would have to be the mark on her forehead. It was a crest of some sort.<p>

The child continued on her journey, not fazed by the change of scenery. As she walks down her pathless path, the crest embedded on her forehead slowly started to fade. Lunamon, who had been hiding for quite some time, hopped up onto the young girl's shoulder and sat there as elegant as her tamer.

"Mmm…. You've been awfully quiet. I'm really quite worried. What is it on your mind that has kept you from speaking?" Lunamon broke the silence.

"Hmm? Sorry to worry you, Lunamon. It's nothing." She replied.

She continued walking, not a single expression on her face.

The tiny creature asked once again, "It was always a wonder what you thought about. However, I am worried. Would you please tell me what is on your mind? Just this once, please?"

This time the girl didn't respond. It was not because she didn't wish to, it was because she was so deep in thought that if Azulongmon had appeared before her she wouldn't have noticed. Lunamon fell silent, she knew that her partner didn't mean to ignore her. The little moon digimon let out a sigh and dug her tiny face into her best friend's hair. They went on their way to who knows where, slowly turning into silhouettes walking towards the horizon.

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><p><strong>ODAIBA, TOYAKO, JAPAN - ISHIDA RESIDENCE<strong>

Akina Ishida, daughter of Sora and Yamato "Matt" Ishida, promptly watches the news about the thunderstorm. This little blonde girl is obsessed with everything that involves Digimon. Upon receiving her digivice and her beloved Digimon, Yokomon, she vowed upon herself that she would someday step foot on the mysterious land called the Digital World. Something about the thunderstorm had her at the edge of her seat. She thought, _"Somehow, I know this is linked to the Digital World. I just know it!" _She listened more and more intently, paying no attention to the food in front of her.

"Akina! If you lean anymore forward, you'll fall of your seat!" Sora worriedly yelled at her daughter.

However, instead of warning her daughter, Sora's warning startled the young blonde and she fell off her chair.

Akina's brown eyes, which were similar to Sora's, looked up to her mother sheepishly. Her blonde hair, which she inherited from her father, was in two loose pigtails with two white ribbons holding them in place. Two strands of her hair stuck out and now lay on top of her head in a V-shape. She brushed off dirt from her favourite shirt, a plain green t-shirt with a gold diamond in the middle and two lone blue stripes, one hemmed on each side. A portion of the bottom part of the shirt was tied up and left on Akina's right side. She also wore light brown shorts that were up to her knees.

"Oh, I'm sorry mom. I… just... have this need to know about the weather, you know. Aha-aha-ha." Akina lied and laughed unconvincingly. She couldn't care less about the weather. However, she couldn't let her mother know that this storm is somehow involved with the Digital World. Sora would freak out, being the worrier that she is. Akina turned her attention back to the news.

Matt chuckled at the end of the dining table. He took his wife's hand and held it in his. "Well, at least she isn't watching anything inappropriate. It's just the news, honey. It's good for kids her age to be interested in the news. Unusual, but good I suppose." He let out a chuckle once again, gave Sora a kiss on the forehead and went on to put his plate in the sink. Afterwards, he sat in the living room couch and started reading the newspaper.

"Unusual indeed. I wonder why she could be so interested in a tiny storm. I don't even have a clue as to why they call this a 'thunderstorm'. There hasn't been any lightning or thunder for hours." Sora mumbled to herself as she was cleaning the dining table. "Akina, finish your food and do your homework. After that's done, you may continue watching the television." She announced.

Akina let out a sigh and responded to her mother, "Alright, momma."

Biyomon, Sora's loyal companion, was fluttering beside her carrying a few plates on her head. "Yoko, go and help Akina."

"Do I have to? I never understand anything…" Yokomon argued as she hopped her way to her tamer.

Akina giggled and playfully rolled her eyes at her digimon. She turned to her father, "Hey, dad! I got dibs on the TV once I'm done with my homework, okay?"

"Sure, sure, but only when you finish your homework. When do you think that'll be? 10 years maybe?" Matt responded jokingly. Sora and Matt laughed in unison with their Digimon while Yokomon dropped to the floor laughing.

"Hey! That's not very nice, daddy." Akina only ever used the terms 'mommy' and 'daddy' when she was trying to give her parents the guilt trip or if she needed to suck up to them. "I thought parents were supposed to be supportive of their kids…" Scowled their only daughter.

"Yokomon! Don't laugh too!" She shouted at the hysterical digimon.

"I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing at your father's joke!" Yokomon told her infuriated friend.

Matt laughed once more and gave a high five to Yokomon. He then turned to his daughter, "I was only joking, Akina. Go ahead and the TV will be yours when you come back. Oh, and be careful not to wake your brother. It'll take all night to put him to bed."

"Okay, I'll be careful." With this, Akina beckoned Yokomon onto her shoulder and ran up the stairs to her bedroom while slowing down only in front of her six year old brother's room. Once she reached her room, she jumped on her bed and flipped her book. "Alright, where do I start?"

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><p><strong>BASE OF INFINITY MOUNTAIN, FILE ISLAND, DIGITAL WORLD<strong>

About an hour had passed since the lavender-haired girl first entered the digital world.

Strong wind and rain had been surrounding File Island. Now, at the middle of the island, the girl and her Lunamon are still on their journey.

"Achoo!" And her poor Lunamon was catching a cold.

"Bless you. Lunamon, you look tired. If you want, we could stay and camp here for the night." The girl patted her best friend's head and lay her down on the ground.

"I'm o-oka-ACHOO!" The tiny digimon just couldn't stop sneezing.

"Alright then, I'll set up our tent." Lunamon's tamer waved her hand and summoned an even stronger gust of wind but this one didn't faze the two at all. The tent was set up in a matter of minutes without either friend touching it. "Done. Now, go inside. I don't want that cold to get any worse."

Lunamon stood from where she was seated. She wobbled at first but got her balance back straight away. "May I ask how far are we from _that_ place?"

"Not far, dear. It's just at the top of this mountain." The child took her little Digi partner and cradled her in her arms. "Now go to sleep, little one. Rest your tired eyes. For tomorrow, our long hike to the top shall begin."

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><p>Inside the tent, she lay her friend down on a blanket she brought along with her. She started to think and wonder about this journey.<p>

"_That man said that this was going to be a tough adventure. He also said that I should be prepared to go on it alone. I'm not entirely alone though, I have Lunamon."_ She took a quick glance at her sleeping partner.

"_I don't want her to get hurt. Maybe I should just go home, Lunamon would be safe from danger that way."_ The child shook her head and continued with her thoughts.

"_No! If I go back now, what's going to happen to the Digi World? I need to stay, and I've known Lunamon long enough to know that she won't leave unless I do. What am I going to do…?"_

The young girl leaned against the tree that was supporting the tent and she slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to her dreams.

* * *

><p><strong>ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN - KAMIYA RESIDENCE<strong>

Silence was all over the Kamiya household. Not a single whisper, just the sound of beating hearts and simultaneous breaths.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

The silence was broken.

"Arashi, dinner."

A little boy is revealed behind the door that was knocked on. Young Arashi Kamiya was doing as he always does when he's home, scribbling away into his notebook. He often used to makes poems, stories and drawings when he felt lonely. After his mother passed, this was all he ever did. He lay down his pencil and stood up. "Alright, I'm coming." Arashi mumbled, his words were almost inaudible.

His brown hair was messy, much like his father's when he was his age. He wore a black shirt, which was half covered by a white button up shirt he left open. His grey shorts just added the eyrie aura that surrounded him.

His partner Digimon, Koromon, looked up to him with eyes filled with worry. "Arashi, I-" Koromon tried to speak, but Arashi wouldn't let him.

"It's alright, Koromon. I'm fine, see?" He forced a smile to stop worry from taking over his friend. It didn't fool Koromon though he was still worried.

Arashi was the coolest boy at school. He made it upon himself to make everyone laugh and enjoy themselves, this was the reason he was so well known. However, his smile at school quickly disappears when he reaches his home. He has never told anyone about his mother's death, so no one knew how torn apart he really was. Only a few people knew, including the older DigiDestined and their families.

His best friends are Akina Ishida and Shinobu "Nobu" Motomiya. Their life mission is to keep Arashi from breaking down at school or at public places. Akina's worried about him and strongly thinks he should let out his emotions. She thinks that they shouldn't be keeping this a secret. But she made a promise to him that she'd help keep his secret and so, there is nothing she can do to help her best friend.

* * *

><p>Dinner was quiet. Agumon sat across Koromon and Tai sat across his son. Tai attempted to break the silence, "Uhm, Arashi. Would you like to come with me to Izzy's lab on Saturday? He called me this morning and I just thought-"<p>

But Arashi cut him off, "Sure, dad. Just remind me the night before, I may forget." He continued eating dinner.

"Alright then." Taichi Kamiya sadly replied. The poor father was missing his son's smiling face so much.

The household fell silent once more.

"Thank you for the food." Arashi stood up and brought his plate to the sink.

He went back up to his room and his Koromon soon followed after saying, "Don't worry, Arashi's dad. I'll take care of him at least for tonight. Don't stress yourself, okay?" Koromon gave a weak smile before following his tamer to his bedroom.

Agumon started, "Tai…" But he couldn't finish what he was saying.

"He's in the darkness, Agumon. He's helpless and alone and there's nothing I can do to help. I'm useless!" Tai slammed his fist onto the dining table. The impact was hard enough to make the entire table quiver.

Agumon gave Tai a concerned look. "There really isn't much you can do…" He stood from his seat and walked over to his best friend and placed his hand over Tai's shoulder.

"I just wish _she_ was here… She always knew how to handle these things better than I did…" Tears rolled down Tai's saddened face and Agumon stood loyally beside his partner as he always had since the day they met.

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><p><strong>ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN - IZUMI RESIDENCE<strong>

"PAPA!" Screamed a little red-haired girl of 10. "MAMA!" The poor panicking Izumi girl yelled and screamed.

"ANYONE! THERE'S A MOUSE IN MY ROOM!" Yes, a mouse. A mouse is enough reason for Sachiko "Sachi" Izumi, daughter of Koushiro "Izzy" and Mimi Izumi, to call the authorities. She hates rodents and bugs. Strange, seeing as her partner digimon is Motimon. Motimon digivolves into Tentomon, the _bug_ digimon.

Sachi stood on top of her bed with Motimon trying his best to avoid all the pillows that were coming his way. Sachiko had been trying to hit the little mouse but to no avail. Sachi's red hair was long and curled daily. She left it out to show off its length. Her eyes were brown and resembled her mother's. Her long-sleeved yellow blouse was an inch apart from her black skirt. The sleeves of her blouse were loose once they reached her wrist. A gust of wind would make them look elegant and flowing. She wore stockings and usually had boots on.

"HELP! A MOUSE! A MOUSE!"

Mimi entered her daughter's room and squealed as she saw the rodent. She climb up the bed as well and held her daughter protectively. "IZZY! GET THAT THING OUT OF HERE!"

"PAPA!" The two kept yelling and screaming until Izzy finally walked into the room.

He chuckled and said while picking up the terrified mouse.

"Look, you scared the poor thing." Miki gasped as she entered her big sister's room behind her father.

Miki is the youngest of the Izumi family. She is six-years-old and resembles her mother quite a lot more than her sister does. Miki had wavy brown hair, which she always had in two pigtails, and big dark brown eyes, which almost looked black. She always wore a pink beret along with a pink dress that reached her knees. To finish off her look, she wore brown flat shoes. She loves shopping almost as much as her mother, if that was possible. Every afternoon, just after school, her mother would take her and Sachiko to the mall just to go get some retail therapy. Unlike her mother and sister, she loves tiny creatures, which would explain why she always has Tanemon in her arms. She also takes after her father quite a bit. She loves math problems. Miki probably loves the attention she gets from her father when she solves one.

"Prodigious! Interesting little fella, aren't you? I wonder how you got in especially with Mimi's traps." He smirked at Mimi and she responded with a pouty face.

Izzy opened the window and let the mouse out. "There you go, little guy." Izzy turned to his eldest daughter and told her, "Sweetie, the worst has gone. Come to dinner with us? Your mother made pasta."

Sachi gave a sigh and replied, "Okay, papa. I'll be down in five minutes."

"Hurry, dear. Your food will get cold." Mimi reminded her as she got down the bed.

Miki ran after her mother. "Mama, I saw this really cute jacket in the new boutique in the mall." She grinned a grin so big it caused Sachi to giggle at her sister's optimism. Mimi smiled at her daughter, who was a perfect image of her.

Sachi's parents and sister left for the dining room while she stayed and looked for signs of any other unwelcomed visitors. After a few minutes, she finally concluded that her room was rodent-free.

At first glance, you would think that Sachi Izumi was nothing like her genius of a father or shopaholic mother. That wasn't the case, Sachi is practically in love with logic and science. She excelled in every class she was in, and she's the President of the Computer Club just like her father was when he was her age. She loves shopping but not as much as her mother. During her mother and sister's daily shopping ritual, she'd usually skip it and walk home with Motimon.

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><p>Sachi trotted down the stairs to the dining room and sat down with her parents and Miki as they said grace. Palmon and Tentomon were seated in the living room while they munched on the food Mimi prepared.<p>

"So, Sachi, how was school today? Weren't you supposed to get you test in Math back?" The genius man conveyed.

"Oh yeah! I completely forgot about that. I got the highest test result in my class! 49 out of 50." The little redhead said with so much happiness.

Mimi spoke up, "That's wonderful, dear." She smiled and continued eating.

"Prodigious!" Replied Izzy. "Which part did you get wrong?" He asked while taking a sip of water.

"The explaining bit. My teacher said that I was a bit too technical and that she couldn't understand my explanation." Sachi giggled and smiled at her father. Izzy responded with a smile directed at his brilliant daughter.

"Mama, Papa, I got an A- for my art assignment." Miki grinned. Tanemon was nibbling on a piece of fruit while sitting on her tamer's lap.

Izzy looked up confused. He knew her daughter always beat herself up when she didn't get the perfect mark. "Uh… That's great, sweetheart. But don't you always hate it when you get an A-? Why are you so happy?"

"Because, papa, the criticism my teacher gave me said that I ruined the colour wheel. Apparently, I made my project a bit too pink." She grinned at her mother. She and Mimi were so alike.

"That's wonderful, dear!" Mimi's eyes glistened. Mimi and Miki both adored the colour pink.

Izzy and Sachi both hit their forehead with their hands. The Izumi family was always a sight to see. Mimi and Miki did the exact same things and Izzy and Sachi looked like clones or synchronized swimmers.

Izzy looked up and glanced at his eldest daughter, "Sachi, you should come with to my lab on Saturday. Your Uncle Tai is coming and he said that he'll ask Arashi to come-"

Sachi jumped from her seat when she heard Arashi's name and cut her father off, "I'm coming!"

"Uh, alright then." The confused father just sat there looking at his 10-year-old daughter.

"Can I come too?" The youngest Izumi spoke up.

Mimi's face started to show worry. She turned to her husband and whispered, "Honey, do you think it's a good idea to let Miki go? I don't think she's ready to hear about the _you-know-what_…"

Izzy chuckled which made Mimi mad. The aggravated mother softly slapped her husband on his shoulder. "It's not a laughing matter. I say she's too young."

Izzy ignored Mimi's comment and faced his six-year-old daughter, "Of course you can come, sweetheart. You just have to promise not disrupt any of the research we conducted."

"Yay! Yay! Yay! I promise, papa!"

Sachi and Miki looked at each other and grinned.

"I'm done eating! I'm gonna go up to my room and organize my clothes for Saturday. Thanks for the food, mama!" Exclaimed Miki.

"I have homework due on Monday. I'll do them now so that I don't have to worry about it on Saturday." Sachi grinned.

And with this, Sachiko and Miki Izumi ran up to their rooms and locked themselves there for the rest of the night.

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><p><strong>BASE OF INFINITY MOUNTAIN, FILE ISLAND, DIGITAL WORLD<strong>

"_The night is drawing to a close."_ The lavender-haired girl thought to herself.

Lunamon's eyes flickered and she gave a great big yawn. "Have you been up all night, milady?" The little Lunamon drowsily asked her tamer.

"Yes, I need no sleep. The moon of the digital world gives me all the energy I need." She replied wisely.

"Is that so? Actually, I feel quite refreshed as well. I don't think I'll need any sleep tonight." Lunamon responded while brushing up her fur.

The girl looked up onto the mountain, "Are you ready, my friend? We must reach the top by the end of the day."

"I am always ready, milady."

The child smiled gently and said, "Then we shall start our hike."

* * *

><p><strong>ODAIBA ELEMENTARY, ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN<strong>

"HEY, GUYS!" A voice from across the road yelled over to the trio of drowsy eleven-year-olds.

Akina Ishida, Arashi Kamiya and Nobu Motomiya were on their way to school when they saw Naomi Hida, Cody's one and only child. The three best friends weren't as energetic as her for school. As soon as they crossed the road they met up with Naomi.

Akina spoke first, "Hey..." She said tiredly.

"What's up, Naomi?" Nobu asked trying to at least sound alive.

Arashi let go of his depressed look and put on a grin. "How are you, Naomi?"

"Same old, same old." Naomi smiled and linked arms with Arashi and Nobu.

Akina immediately woke up and shouted, "HEY! I'M supposed to be walking to school with them, NOT YOU."

"Jealousy isn't your best colour, sweetie." The cheeky girl teased her infuriated friend.

The Ishida girl just glared at her. She was about to speak when the bell rang. "Ack! I'll deal with you later." She grabbed her two best friend's arms and dragged them to class.

"Boy hog." The young Hida remarked before waving goodbye to the two boys who were being dragged away.

* * *

><p>Akina was in her usual spot, in front of Arashi and next to Nobu. Her seat was next to the window as well, giving her the chance to stare out of it and daydream to her little heart's content.<p>

Unfortunately for her, today they had a casual science teacher. He was going on and on about the reflex arc and Akina couldn't care less. This teacher just so happened to be really strict and Akina caught his eye.

"Miss Ishida, is my class boring to you?" He called across the room.

Akina didn't hear.

"Miss Ishida!"

Still nothing.

"Aki!" Nobu whispered to his best friend, trying to get her attention. It worked.

"Hmm? What is it, Nobu?" She finally replied. By this time, their teacher had come up to Akina's desk and slammed his ruler on her table.

"Miss Ishida, not only did you drift away into your own little world, you also ignored me. I have called you twice and I didn't get a single response from you! Go to the principal's office NOW!" Mr Tanaka, their teacher, said angrily.

All she did was look at him, still confused with the situation.

Mr Tanaka continued, "Unless of course you could recite the Reflex Arc to the entire class." He smirked.

Akina never completely drifts off. She has this unique skill; whatever she hears, even if she's not paying attention, it sticks to her brain like glue.

Akina chuckled and looked at him straight in the eye, "Of course, sir. It starts with the stimuli, followed by the sensory receptors, next is the sensory neuron, then the central nervous system after that are the motor neurons then finally the action or response." She grinned at her teacher and all the other students laughed.

"Th-That's right." The teacher's jaw dropped. He turned to the class who roared in laughter, "That's enough! Let us continue with the discussion."

* * *

><p>After class, the trio headed out to the playground where the other DigiDestined children were.<p>

The twins, Hikaru "Karu" and Jirou "JR" Takaichi, are the children on Hikari "Kari" and Takeru "TK" Takaichi. They were playing on the swings. The two 10-year-olds alternated going up and down. When one was up, the other was down. It was quite entertaining watching them. Their digimon, Salamon and Tokomon, were on top of the swings watching their tamers enjoy themselves.

"Tokomon!" Called JR, "Come and swing with me!"

"Whee! I'm coming JR!" Tokomon's voice was sweet and child like.

"Can I play on the swing too, Karu?" Salamon asked innocently.

Karu smiled at his digimon, "Of course you can! Come here!"

The two Digimon sat on the laps of their respective tamers. This way, if anyone saw the two tiny Digimon, they'd think they were nothing but mere plush toys. The four giggled and laughed while swinging back and forth.

On the slide were the three six year olds. Shindou "Shin" Ishida, Akina's brother, was taking his turn down the slide. While Miki Izumi and Kazuma Ichijouji, Ken and Yolei Ichijouji's youngest child, were pushing each other aside to get the next turn down the slide. The Ichijouji family has just recently moved to Odaiba from Tamachi but that didn't stop Kazuma from making friends or picking fights.

Junichi "June" Kido, the more responsible member of the group, and Kazumi Ichijouji were frantically trying to keep the younger kids from clawing each other. All of their digimon, both of the two older boys and the three younger kids, were helping while also trying to hide from the crowd of children.

Sitting where they usually did, Naomi Hida, Ami "Amy" Ichijouji and Sachi Izumi sat at the picnic table in the middle of the sand area. Upamon, Poromon and Motimon were hiding under the picnic table munching on their tamer's food. The girls were doing what they usual did, talk about rumours they've heard around school. In other words, they were gossiping.

Akina, Arashi and Nobu sat next to the trio of gossiping girls. "What's up, girls? Anything interesting lately?" Nobu asked trying to start conversation.

"Absolutely! You know that casual teacher? Apparently, he stole all the cupcakes from the teacher's lounge." Amy, Ken and Yolei's middle child, answered Nobu.

"What? You don't actually believe that, do you?" Akina asked in disbelief.

By this time, Arashi was entertaining the group of girls who gathered around him. He and Nobu were quite popular. However, it was clear that Arashi was the more popular of the two.

Akina followed her best friend, but when she got to him the group of girls pushed her out making it impossible to reach Arashi. _"He keeps smiling… Arashi, you don't have to hide your sadness…"_

Nobu placed his hand over Akina's shoulder. He could read her face, "Aki, I know you're worried but there's nothing we can do. This is what he wants."

"I know… He's in so much pain and there's nothing we can do…" The little blonde girl sadly remarked.

Sachi called out to Akina from where she was seated, "Akina! Where's Yokomon?"

The young Kamiya girl turned around to answer the question that was asked. "Uhm, she should be up in the trees, probably in front of the school. She was with DemiVeemon and Koromon when I left her."

"Cool! I'll go look for them." With this, Sachi ran to the front of the school.

"Aki!" Akina and Nobu whirled around.

They saw Arashi approach them. The girls that crowded him seem to have left. He continued, "Wanna hang later? I feel like having ice cream." His grin never left his face.

"Sure. We can go to the park. Bring Koromon along as well, I'm sure DemiVeemon and Yokomon would love to play at the park. They haven't been out to play for a while." Nobu answered.

"Seems like Nobu's got everything planned already." Akina laughed and Arashi joined in.

The trio took their seats and began eating their lunch. Everyone was having fun and playing games.

* * *

><p>RING RING<p>

The bell rang. Lunch was over and it was time for math.

Akina sighed. "Drat, oh well. Lunch was fun while it lasted. Let's go, guys! We don't want to be late for Miss Watanabe's class, she's scarier that Piedmon when she gets mad." She and her two best friends laughed while running to their class.

* * *

><p><strong>INFINITY MOUNTAIN, FILE ISLAND, DIGITAL WORLD<strong>

The child with lavender eyes finally reached the top of the mountain. She was tired and exhausted from the long hike. "We're finally here, Lunamon."

"What exactly is 'here'?" Conveyed Lunamon who was equally as tired as her tamer.

"Primary Village. That man said that once we get to the digital world, we should immediately come here." The child said while analysing the area. "I wonder where Elecmon is." She continued obviously confused as to why no one was guarding the babies.

Lunamon spoke up, "He's probably out looking for food."

"Maybe." Something caught the girl's eye. "Oh look! It's a Yukimibotamon! Oh, Lunamon. I remember when you hatched a few days after your DigiEgg was given to me. You were a tiny little white ball of cuteness like this little angel." She smiled gently and Lunamon smiled back.

The serious child whom she portrayed when they first entered this world has disappeared and this more carefree girl took her place. She held the tiny baby Digimon up in the air and swung it gently from side to side.

"I haven't seen you this happy in so long. I'm glad that memories of me give you this much joy." Lunamon had been taking care of this young girl since she was at a tender age of three.

The girl started singing a lullaby and Lunamon came and stood beside her and the baby. "I'm so happy that you're my partner, Fuyuko."

The girl smiled at the sound of her name. Who is this mysterious girl? All we know about her is her name and that she is one of the chosen few, a DigiDestined.

_**To be continued…**_


	2. Chapter 2  An important announcement

**Digimon – After Story**

**Episode 2 – An Important Announcement**

Message from Keira: Hello, everyone! I would like to thank you, readers, for reviewing my story. :D I really hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint. I'm so sorry if it does. Review and give me your opinions to put in my next chapter ;) Thanks for your time! Have fun reading!

**DISCLAIMER! I do not own Digimon, it's characters, it's setting or its funny jokes XD All I own in this fanfic are the DigiDestined children and the plot. Digimon belongs to Toei.**

* * *

><p><strong>ODAIBA ELEMENTARY, ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN<strong>

It was 3 o' clock and school has just ended for the week. At this time, the children were collecting their bags from their lockers.

Akina Ishida stood up from her locker so fast that her hair went all over her face. "You ready, Arashi? Nobu?" She said smiling somewhere behind all that hair.

"I'm ready!" Nobu gave Akina a thumbs up before flinging his bag over his right shoulder.

Arashi went back to his doom and gloom self. He chucked his bag over his shoulder as well and said, "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go." He looked over his shoulder and forced a weak smile.

Nobu and Akina looked at each other with worried expressions and ran up to Arashi who already started his walk to the park.

* * *

><p><strong>ODAIBA NATIONAL PARK, ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN<strong>

"Uhm… I'll have the Chocolate supreme. No wait! I'll have the Vanilla Madness. Wait, the chocolate one looks really good. But I really love vanilla…" Akina was holding up the line at the ice cream stand.

She turned to her friends, "Which one should I get? The chocolate or the vanilla?"

The two boys already had their ice creams and were standing out of line waiting for their indecisive friend. Arashi was innocently licking his ice cream while Nobu, embarrassed by his friend, yelled, "Just pick one already! You're holding up everyone else!"

"Alright, geez. Can I have both?" The little blonde grinned at the ice cream man. He gave a sigh and handed her the ice cream cone with both flavours on it.

Nobu facepalmed and furiously walked over to his friend, "WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?" He asked angrily.

"Cuz I just thought about it then." Young Akina gave her trademark grin that seems to have reached from one ear to the other.

Nobu's tantrum still kept going and Akina was ignoring him completely. She kept her focus on her ice cream. She finally decided to acknowledge her best friend's existence and responded, "Temper, temper, Nobu. We wouldn't want to attract attention."

Nobu snarled under his breath and decided to calm himself down before he thought of mauling Akina.

Arashi just kept on licking his ice cream like nothing happened. He spoke up, "Let's take a seat." The brunette pointed towards an empty bench and began making his way towards it.

The trio took a seat; Akina in the middle with Arashi to her left and Nobu to her right. They sat there talking for a few minutes changing topics from time to time.

Finished with her afternoon snack, young Ishida raised another topic, "Do you guys wanna come over to my place tomorrow?"

"I want to, Aki. But I promised my father that I'd go to Mr Izumi's lab tomorrow." Arashi, who just finished his ice cream cone, stood up casually and faced his friends.

"That's right!" The young Motomiya suddenly remembered his promise to his own father, "My dad asked me to go too. Sachi and a few others are going as well. Sorry, Aki. You know I'd love to, but a promise is a promise." Nobu said regrettably.

"Aww, don't worry about it." The only girl in the group put on a frown. After a few seconds of silence, she lifted her head, "Wait. I could come too! I'll ask my dad to call Mr Izumi and see if I can come along." She wore the grin that she was so famous for.

"I'd like that." Arashi smiled at his friend.

"That'd be awesome! We can spend our entire Saturday together!" Nobu announced.

Arashi's smile hasn't disappeared from his face like it usually does. He still kept his gaze on Akina. _"Aki…"_

Nobu had noticed that the sun was about ready to set. He said, "Drat, I didn't want our day to end yet. We haven't really hung out in a while. I miss this."

"I know. I don't want it to end either but if I'm late for dinner, mom's gonna have an anxiety attack." Akina said jokingly. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" And with this, the young blonde left and ran towards the street that led to her house.

"What do you say, Arashi? Shall we head on home as well?" Nobu asked his friend who was currently staring at the sunset.

Arashi looked away from one of nature's daily beauty to answer his fellow DigiDestined. "Yeah, my father will get worried if I'm late."

"Alright. Let's get on our way home." Nobu grinned and then they were off.

* * *

><p><strong>ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN – MOTOMIYA RESIDENCE<strong>

"Well, this is my place." Nobu grinned.

"I know, Nobu. I've known and lived next to you since I was born." Arashi smiled slightly.

Nobu laughed a little, "So, do you want me to come with you to your place?"

"That wouldn't make sense. It's not that far away, anyway. I'll see you tomorrow." The young Kamiya held out his hand.

Nobu knew exactly was his best friend was doing. They always did this before saying goodbye. "Alright. See yah!" He returned the gesture and they did their 'secret' handshake.

Arashi started his walk home, looking back only once to see Nobu being greeted by his mother. He continued on his way with his head hung low.

* * *

><p><strong>ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN – ISHIDA RESIDENCE<strong>

Akina slyly came inside her family's apartment. Slowly trying to open the door as not to alert her mother, who took the day off, of how late she got home. The door was clearly not on her side when it screeched.

"Stupid door. You're gonna get me caught!" The little blonde girl whispered and slowly tiptoed across the living room to get to her room.

"AKINA ISHIDA, WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN?" Exploded the worried Sora, who seemed to have come out of nowhere. Biyomon and Yokomon jumped at Sora's tone and hid behind the coffee table as fast as they could. Shin, who was seated on the couch, was now hiding behind his Tsunomon. He, too, was terrified of his mother's fury.

Akina's eyes widened upon seeing her mother's reaction. "Uhhh…Hi, mom… I'm home? Aha-ha-ha" The little troublemaker said unconvincingly.

The angry mother approached her careless daughter, "You better have a good excuse, young lady! You have no idea how worried I was…" Sora kept rambling on until the door screeched once more.

"Honey, Akina, I'm ho-" Matt began to say but upon seeing his wife go off at their only daughter he changed his tone. "What's going on?" He slowly asked while taking off his coat and placing it on the coat rack. Gabumon, also shaken up by Sora's anger, hid behind the coffee table with the other two digimon.

"Our daughter JUST got home. It's past six and she has yet to give me an explanation as to why she is late." The still angered Sora conveyed.

"I was out with Arashi and Nobu… We went out for ice cream and just talked. We completely forgot about the time. I'm sorry for worrying you, momma." The sly Akina gave her mother the apologetic and innocent look in hopes of forgiveness.

Sora looked at her husband with a _'Well?'_ look. Matt cringed and said, "She did apologize. What do you say, hun?" Grabbing Sora by the waist and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Think we should let this one go?"

Sora looked at her daughter who still had the innocent smile on her face, "Fine, I'll let this one slide."

Matt winked at his daughter who grinned at her mother's words.

"BUT," Sora continued, "If you ever do this again, so help me I will ground you for a month! Am I understood, Akina?"

The young girl gulped at her mother's rage. "Yes, mommy."

And with that, Sora's anger magically disappeared and the night became that of any other night. Sora went back to cooking, and Matt and Shin took their usual spots on the couch.

Akina grabbed Yokomon and was about to run up to her room to play with her digi pal when she remembered, "Oh yeah! Dad, are you going to Uncle Izzy's lab tomorrow?" She asked her father who was busy with the daily news.

"Hmm? Yes, actually. How'd you know about that?"

"Arashi and Nobu are going. Can I please come? Please? Please? Please? We haven't been hanging out recently and well, I guess I'm feeling kinda lonely. Please?"

"Why not? Of course you can come as long as you promise not to cause any trouble."

"I promise!" And with this, Akina ran up to her room and she and Yokomon start their night with a tickle war.

* * *

><p><strong>ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN – KAMIYA RESIDENCE<strong>

Arashi unlocked the front door then went inside his home. _"Dad's not home yet." _He thought silently.

He took off his jacket, placed it in the closet and slowly made his way up to his room. Koromon was peeping through the kitchen and greeted his tamer.

"H-hi Arashi…" He said softly. Seeing his friend's expression made him unsure of his words.

Arashi finally replied after a few seconds, "Hey, Koromon…" He trailed off and went on his way to his room once more.

Koromon's face drooped as it always does when he's upset. _"I hate seeing you like this, Arashi. Please smile, smile like you did three years ago. I miss that so much."_ A tear rolled down Koromon's cheek as he thought these words.

Up in Arashi's room, he sat in the corner. Next to his bed, away from the door he sulked and brought his knees to his chest. He hugged them tightly and dug his face into them. The woeful boy began to cry. _"I miss you, momma. I miss you so much that my heart aches when I walk into our home."_

Koromon peeped through the door that was opened slightly. "A-Arashi," the little pink Digimon came up to his human partner, "I…" He didn't have any words to say to his best friend.

Arashi slowly looked up and saw his best friend sadly looking at him. "Come here, Koromon." He extended one of his hands out, inviting his partner to sit next to him.

The tiny Digimon approached his tamer and immediately sat next to him. Koromon looked up at his friend's tear-stained face, "This may sound weird, but I'm glad you're crying. That means you're not holding all this pain in anymore." He smiled weakly.

"You're always looking out for me, aren't you, Koromon?" The young boy smiled slightly at his little friend.

"Of course I am, you're my friend."

"You're mine too…"

* * *

><p>They sat like this for an hour until Tai finally came home. "Arashi, I'm home! Are you in your room?" He yelled.<p>

No answer. At this point, Tai had gotten worried and he rushed up to his son's room. He broke open the door, "ARASHI!"

"Hi, dad…" The little boy looked up eyes filled with tears.

Koromon, though reluctant, bounced over to his lizard-like friend, Agumon. He didn't want to leave his friend but there wasn't much he could do to help Arashi. Digimon knew nothing of the concept of death. Agumon picked the little digimon up and they sat on the bed.

Arashi continued, "I'm sorry I didn't answer. I-"

Tai couldn't handle seeing his son in so much pain, so he interrupted him. "Don't say it, son. I know how much pain you're going through. But, I think it's time to let go of your past. Your mother will never come back."

"_I know what dad's saying is true, but it won't sink in no matter how long it's been." _Arashi slowly got up and looked his father in the eye.

"Daddy… I just miss her so much!" The Kamiya boy, who has kept everything bottled up until tonight, ran to his father and hugged him tightly. Tears kept coming and Arashi couldn't stop sobbing.

"I know it's hard, son. But in time, everything will get better. It may be soon, it may not. It's up to you when you want to be free of this sadness. No one else can help you but yourself." These were the words Tai chose to give to his son.

Arashi looked up to meet his father's gaze, "I understand, but if I choose freedom then I will lose momma."

Tai could not answer his son, he didn't know how to. The rest of the night was filled with sadness and tears.

* * *

><p><strong>PRIMARY VILLAGE, INFINITY MOUNTAIN, FILE ISLAND, DIGITAL WORLD<strong>

Fuyuko and her partner, Lunamon, have been in primary village for a few hours now.

"Elecmon still hasn't come. I wonder if he's in danger…" The young girl muttered to herself while looking up to the sky.

Lunamon, seeing her partner's worry, jumped up on Fuyuko's shoulders. "I'm sure he's fine, but if it will ease your worry, I will gladly go and search for him."

"That's an excellent idea, Lunamon!"

"No, it's not. If I do go, it would mean that I'd have to leave you alone."

Fuyuko placed the Yukimibotamon she was holding in its cot and took her Digimon into her arms. "I will be fine. As of now, we have no enemies. Please go and find Elecmon, we need him."

"Hmm… Alright, but if something happens, you know what to do." The moon Digimon pointed at the top button on her human partner's Digivice.

The girl nodded and Lunamon blew a bubble and hopped on top of it. _"Please be safe, Fuyuko."_

* * *

><p>Lunamon had started her search by circling the perimeter of Primary Village. So far, nothing within a 2-mile radius. She kept going until she finally saw a red ball of fur in the middle of a slow current river. <em>"That can't be. No, it's…ELECMON!"<em>

The little moon digimon rushed down to the river. It was indeed Elecmon.

"Elecmon!" She ferociously shook him. "Wake up, you must tell me what happened!"

The red digimon's eyes slowly opened, "I-is that you, L-lunamon?" He then shifted his gaze at Primary Village, which was 3 miles away. "No…" The wounded Digimon said weakly, "My babies… they're in…danger…"

Lunamon's eyes grew, she had left her beloved human partner at Primary Village with no means of protection. "W-what are they in danger of, Elecmon?" She said softly.

By this time, Elecmon had drifted into unconsciousness. Lunamon dragged him out of the water and thought to herself. _"I'm sorry, Elecmon, I must leave you here for now. My partner needs me."_

* * *

><p>Back at Primary Village, the baby Digimon started to cry. Fuyuko frantically tried to get them to clam down, but she had no idea why they were crying in the first place.<p>

All of the sudden, the child felt the ground shake beneath her feet. It was short, it only lasted a few seconds. She could feel heavy breaths on top of her. Fuyuko hesitated, but finally she looked up to what was ten times her size. "CERBERUMON!"

The baby Digimon ran away from the giant wolf like Digimon. Cerberumon was a Digimon that resembled the mythical beast, Cerberus. It had three heads and extremely long claws coming out of his paws. This Cerberumon was different, it had spikes coming out of every possible place in his body. His eyes were blood red and his tail grew spikes at the tip as well.

"Lunamon… You were right, I am in danger." Fuyuko whispered to herself.

All of the baby Digimon had gone to safety, all except one. It was Yukimibotamon, she was in the middle of the gigantic beast's two front paws. The poor baby was frozen with fear and Fuyuko knew that if she didn't do anything to help, that little Digimon would be crushed.

"No… Yukimibotamon will… No!" The young child ran towards Yukimibotamon. And without thinking, she swiped the tiny digimon up. However, Cerberumon wouldn't allow this. He swung his paw, which sent Fuyuko and Yukimibotamon flying towards the tree that stood at the center of Primary Village.

Fuyuko managed to keep Yukimibotamon safe, however, she was now out cold. The poor little baby Digimon kept trying to wake the brave girl but to no avail. It seemed like it was the end. Cerberumon crept closer and closer.

The child finally managed to open her eyes and whisper to the frightened Digimon, "You… must… go… with your… friends…"

Yukimibotamon, refusing to leave, stayed by her new friend's side.

"No, I… will be… fine." Fuyuko forced a smile. She gathered what was left of her strength and pressed the top button of her digivice. _"I guess I was stupid to think I'd even last a second here without you, Lunamon."_

Before Yukimibotamon could respond, the giant wolf-like digimon roared, "I'm tired of watching this pity fest. It's time to end this… HELL FIRE!" A huge glowing ball of red formed in his mouth.

Fuyuko closed her eyes and braced herself for the attack.

"TEAR SHOT!"

Fuyuko opened her eyes once more and saw her partner. Lunamon had returned and was now floating in front of their opponents face.

"WHY DON'T YOU PICK ON SOMEBODY 1/20 OF YOUR SIZE?" The brave little digimon screamed. She swung her ears and yelled, "LOP-EAR RIPPLE!" This released a tiny tornado but Cerberumon just blew it off.

She kept on a brave face but in reality she was scared half to death. _"My last attack did even faze him. I wouldn't have gotten his attention in I didn't fly up to his face! How is a rookie supposed to match an ultimate? I don't know how long I can keep this up."_

Then, out of nowhere, bubbles and cold air blew from every direction. The two grown Digimon and the winded human's eyes searched for the reason behind the mysterious occurrence. They traced it to the babies. They were using their Bubble Blow and Diamond Dust attacks.

"Woah! They distracted the ugly thing!" Lunamon grinned, "Now's my chance… LUNAR CLA-"

BEEP BEEP

Fuyuko's Digivice interrupted Lunamon's attack. The purple and white striped Digivice was glowing. A single gem, which took the form of a crescent came down to Lunamon and landed on her forehead. A strange light, which came from the Digivice's screen, now enveloped Lunamon.

BEEP BEEP

"Lunamon digivolve to… LEKISMON!"

Where Lunamon stood, now stood an elegant champion Digimon. Its name is Lekismon. Its ears were longer, tentacle-like things surrounded Lekismon loosely. Lekismon wore gloves and a mask, a ribbon made out of silk was tied to the mask and it flowed gently in the wind. The tiny Digimon wasn't so tiny anymore. She grew about five times Lunamon's height.

"Wow! I digivolved!" Lekismon turned to face her human partner who was in so much awe, "Look, Yuko! I'm a champion!"

"That's amazing, Lekismon." Fuyuko slowly stood up to analyse her new partner. "You're beautiful."

Lekismon chuckled and said, "Thanks. But now, we have to beat the living daylights out of this thing. Listen, Fuyuko. That is no ordinary Digimon, that is Cerberumon X. He is one of the few Digimon that have the X-Antibody in their system. He is far stronger than a normal Cerberumon. Please be careful." Her eyes grew serious as she faced her opponent.

Fuyuko gulped, _"X-Antibody? That doesn't sound good…"_

"Hey, ugly!" The champion Digimon exclaimed, "I will never forgive you for hurting my best friend!"

Lekismon reached to her back and took a questionable item. "TEAR ARROW!" She yelled as she launched the beautiful arrow down to the wolf-like digimon below.

The arrow struck one of Cerberumon X's three heads leaving it immobilized. "Ha! One hideous head down, two more to go." Lekismon mocked, a bit cocky.

"You fool! Do you honestly think a champion digimon can defeat me, an ultimate Digimon? And as if those odds weren't bad enough, I have the X-Antibody injected in me making me even stronger than an average ultimate." The vicious Digimon laughed maniacally.

"I'm not scared of you! MOON NIGHT KICK!" Lekismon jumped up and was about to land her kick on Cerberumon X when he stops the attack by chomping on Lekismon's foot.

The moon Digimon yelped in pain as Cerberumon threw her against a pile of giant baby blocks.

Lekismon stood up. Her strength was drained and she wobbled endlessly, "A-as if that would be enough to keep me down!" She cried.

Cerberumon X laughed, "You're a bit too over your head. You can never defeat me! STYX KILLER!" An illusion of a river of souls slowly appeared around Lekismon, slowly strangling her and crushing her ribs.

When the attack finally wore off, the champion Digimon fell to the ground.

"Lekismon!" Fuyuko ran towards her fallen Digimon. A strange light enveloped Lekismon and transformed her back to Lunamon. "Oh Lunamon…"

Lunamon tried with all her strength to stand and protect her tamer, but she collapsed to the ground, as her injuries were too severe. Fuyuko took her back into her arms and cradled the defeated Digimon.

"I'm sorry, Yuko. I couldn't even protect you from that loser… I'm a terrible fighter." The wounded Digimon replied meekly.

Fuyuko gently stroke her partner's ears and said, "You're a wonderful fighter just for trying. You're the bravest Digimon I have ever met. Thank you." She smiled sweetly at her best friend.

The two friends looked up as Cerberumon was ready to deliver his final blow. They closed their eyes and waited for the inevitable. They waited for what seemed like hours, but nothing happened. When they finally opened their eyes, the giant digimon was gone…

* * *

><p><strong>IZUMI LABORATORY, ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN<strong>

It was Saturday and Izzy Izumi, Haruhiko Takenouchi and Jim Kido were hard at work in Izzy's lab. As head of digimon research, Izzy knew everything that involved the activity between the two worlds. He had big news for the group of DigiDestined.

"Honey," Mimi's sweet voice echoed in Izzy's ear. "You're working too hard. Stress is not a pretty colour." She said in a pleasant voice.

The genius turned to face his wife, "I know, darling. But this is of great importance. I'll rest tonight, I promise."

"Sealed with a kiss?" Mimi beamed.

Izzy chuckled slowly bringing his face closer to his wife's. "Yeah…" He trailed off and planted a kiss on Mimi's lips.

The two researches behind the couple giggled in the sidelines while Miki made a disgusted face behind them.

Outside of his lab, Sachi and Motimon were patiently waiting for the guests her father expects. The little girl wore a simple plaid dress and a big bow resided on top of her red hair. Her hair was let out and her red curls rested upon her shoulders.

"Mmm…" She didn't have much patience left, "Oh, where the heck is everyone?"

"Be patient, Sachi. They'll be here soon." Motimon answered his partner's rhetorical question.

"Sachiko!" A man's voice called out. The young Izumi lifted up her head and saw her father's friend and his son making their way towards her. Their Digimon weren't far behind.

"Mr Kamiya! Arashi!" She grinned, "You're the first ones here."

"Hello, Sachi." Greeted Arashi.

Sachi smiled innocently at her friend, "Hi! How are you, Arashi?"

Arashi dug his hands into his pockets, "I'm alright. Is Akina coming?"

"Yeah, her father called last night and said that she was coming with him."

"Okay then."

"TAI!" The group of three turned to see Davis and Nobu walking towards them. "Are we late?" He yelled out.

"Nah, man. We just got here too." Tai answered while walking towards his friend to greet him with a high five.

"Hi Mr Kamiya." Nobu smiled before walking over to the other DigiDestined children. He patted his best friend's shoulder and turned to face the young girl. "Hey, Sachi. How was your day?"

"Silly boy, it's still morning. My day's barely begun." She giggled.

"Oh right." Nobu replied sheepishly.

Sachi turned to face the adults. "We should go inside." She smiled and led everyone inside her father's lab.

* * *

><p><strong>ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN – ISHIDA RESIDENCE<strong>

"Akina, hurry! We're going to be late!" Matt called his daughter from the kitchen.

"Isn't she ready yet?" Sora came out of the bathroom. "I swear, that girl takes longer to get ready that I do."

"And I thought that was impossible." Matt laughed and went over to his wife to give her a peck on the lips.

"Yuck." Akina made a disgusted look.

Sora laughed, her arms still around her husband's neck. "Someday, you won't think it's yuck when you're doing it." She joked.

"Not someday soon, I hope." Matt shrugged before turning towards the living room. "C'mon, Shin. Gabumon and I will race you and Tsunomon to the car."

"Okay! I'll beat you, daddy!" Shindou said happily as he jumped off the couch.

And with that, Matt, his son and their digimon were off.

"Mom, why did Mr Izumi ask you and dad to go see him at his lab?" Akina questioned her mother.

Sora looked at her daughter and said, "I don't know, sweetie. He only told us that he had news and that the whole group has to be there to hear it."

"It must be important then." Akina picked up her back and called her digimon, "Yokomon!"

"I guess so." Sora replied. "Bee! We're leaving!" She called her own Digimon partner.

The two bird digimon made their way down the stairs and followed their human partners out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>IZUMI LABORATORY, ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN<strong>

"So, we're just waiting for Matt and Sora. I wonder what's taking them so long." Izzy announced to the group of people gathered in his lab.

"We're here!" Akina slammed the door open. Panting, she added, "Sorry, we're late."

Matt and Sora soon followed with Shin hiding behind Sora's legs.

"Sorry, someone took her time this morning." Matt stated while teasingly eyeing his daughter.

"Kazuma!" Shin, who had Tsunomon in his arms, screamed out while running towards his friend.

"Sh-shin, c-could you p-please slow do-o-o-own." As Shin kept running, poor Tsunomon bounced up and down resulting in him having a splitting headache.

Kazuma ran towards the little Ishida boy, "Shin! Look! I found this really cool hiding spot over there!"

Yolei interrupted her son. "Hang on there, young man. You are not to disturb anyone's work, got it?"

"I know, I know. I'll be careful, momma." The youngest Ichijouji answered his mother and then turned to his friend.

"It's really cool! It's in between those two things over there!"

"Woah! What are we doing here then?" The two went off to their new hiding spot and left the adults to discuss business.

Matt and Sora along with their digimon joined the older DigiDestined while Akina sat next to her friends.

"Aki, come sit next to me." Arashi called out to his friend and gestured to the spot next to him.

"Sure." Akina, with Yokomon on her head, trotted her way to where her best friend was seated.

She sat down, "Where's the brat of a princess?" Akina asked noticing an absence in their group.

Sachi spoke up, "If you're talking about Naomi, she's with Mr Hida. She wasn't interested in sitting with us."

"She thinks she's so grown up. It's disgusting." Amy added.

The twins stared at Amy. Karu started, "That's not very nice, Amy."

JR continued, "Yeah, it's not at all nice to talk about people behind their backs."

"Oh…sorry." Amy hung her head down shamefully.

Nobu continued the conversation. Pointing towards where the two six-year-olds were playing, he continued, "Kazumi's somewhere in that mess. He's way to protective of Kazuma."

"So everyone ended up coming…" Akina murmured.

Arashi responded, "Yeah, everyone came because it's a chance to have the digimon play with each other." He turned to look at the group of digimon who were playing in a corner of the room.

The kids laughed at the sight of their digimon's games. They were creative, fun and not to mention unusual.

"Alright, let's begin." Izzy started.

"Something very important has happened between the Digital World and ours. All of you should have remembered that year we entered the digital world together, it was when we gave our children their digimon. It was the last time we entered the Digital World. Now, as all of you know, the portals were locked a year after that."

All the adults and their digimon nodded as Izzy continued to explain. "Well, a few days ago, I found something very interesting while I did my research. I found a message from Gennai."

After hearing a friend of their parents' name, the children payed closer attention to Izzy's announcement. Their digimon grew curious as well and hopped back to their tamers.

Izzy continued, "The message stated…that the portals are now opened…"

Everyone said in unison, "WHAT?"

_**To be continued…**_


	3. Chapter 3 First Steps on Digital Land

**Digimon – After Story**

**Episode 3 – First Steps on Digital Land**

**Message from Keira: **Nothing really to say today except thanks for the reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter :D

**DISCLAIMER! I do not own Digimon, it's characters, it's setting or its funny jokes XD All I own in this fanfic are the DigiDestined children and the plot. Digimon belongs to Toei.**

* * *

><p><strong>IZUMI LABORATORY, ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN<strong>

"…The portals are now opened…" Izzy stated plainly.

Everyone said in unison, "WHAT?"

"It's really opened after all these years?" TK asked in disbelief.

"B-but that would mean that we could travel to the Digital World, wouldn't it?" Kari continued from where her husband had left off.

Izzy stood up, "Yes, it's been open for about a month or so. Yes, it would mean that we could once again visit the digital world. However," He paused briefly before continuing. "We have no idea why they have opened or for what purpose. I e-mailed Gennai three days ago but I haven't gotten a reply."

"So what are you saying, Izzy?" Matt spoke up.

"He's saying that even if we have access to the digital world we shouldn't go and rush in there. We don't know what's waiting for us if we go. What if it really was a trap? We'd be like chickens with their head cut off." Tentomon spoke from behind his tamer.

Akina clenched her fists and shouted, "What? The portals are finally open and they're right there! And you're telling us we can't go? Why not?"

Arashi tugged on his friend's shirt signalling her to calm down. Matt acted as if nothing happened, clearly on his daughter's side. Sora didn't see it that way though, she glared at her daughter for speaking up inappropriately.

After seeing her mother's face, Akina hesitantly sat back down and muttered to herself inaudible words.

"Akina, you must understand. Right now, it's just too dangerous to go running off there." Izzy explained calmly.

Tai glanced at his son, stood up and walked towards his partner, Agumon. He patted his reptile friend and said, "I say we go. Even if it were a trap, we'd all be together making us less vulnerable."

Yolei shrugged, "I don't know about you, but I'm not about to risk my children's lives."

"What if we go to patrol a small area for a while? Then we could tell you if it really is dangerous or not." Agumon spoke up.

Tai nodded. "I think having the kids experience the digital world would be good for them."

"I'll go and patrol as soon as possible." Agumon added.

"I want to help as well." Called out Biyomon.

Gabumon looked over to his human partner who was smiling at him. He faced the other Digimon, "If Matt's in, then I'm in."

"I'm with Tai for this one." Agreed Ken.

"Well, I disagree." Argued his wife. "Ken, Kazuma's too young to go off into the unknown!"

"I know, but why stop Kazumi and Amy? Kazuma could still go to the digital world but not as a DigiDestined. How do you think he would feel if he's being left out?" Ken brought up a good point.

Yolei looked away holding Hawkmon tightly in her arms.

"Wormmon and I will help as much as we can." Hawkmon conveyed as he tried to break free of Yolei's grip. Ken nodded at his wife's Digimon. He sat next to Yolei, stroking her hair and convincing her that this was a good idea.

Davis walked across the room over to his son, "What do you say, son? You ready to go on a journey?"

Nobu's brown eyes widened, "Heck yeah!" He and his father laughed together.

"Nobu's up for it, so I am too." Davis finally said.

Veemon jumped from where he sat down. "Then count me in for patrolling!"

RING RING

Cody's phone had disturbed the group's meeting. "Sorry, it's my firm. I'll take it outside."

"_Daddy…"_ Naomi was staring at the door her father just exited a little earlier. The young French girl knew something was up.

She faced the older DigiDestined, "I want to go as well. I know my opinion doesn't really matter, but I'd really love to see Upamon's home."

Izzy smiled at the young girl, "Of course your opinion matters, Natsumi. I'll ask your father later. Armadillomon would be most welcome to patrol."

He turned to his wife who hasn't spoken a word in a while. As the others discussed among themselves, Izzy sat down next to her and stroked her arm. "Honey, what do you think?"

"I-I don't think we should let the kids go." Mimi kept her head low.

Sachi's face dropped. "What? Why, mama?"

Miki stood behind her older sister. "I really wanna go, mama."

Mimi stood up and walked towards her daughters. "I know you do, sweethearts. But, you have to understand that the Digital World is dangerous. It's completely different to our world."

"Of course we understand, mama! That's why we want to go, we want to experience a different life." Sachi spoke for herself and her sister.

By this time, Izzy had joined them. "Mimi, I don't want them to get hurt any more than you do. But, I trust them to come back home safely. We did, didn't we? They're our spitting image!" He laughed.

Mimi turned to her two daughters. She kept her focus on them but she was talking to her husband. "Yes, they are." She smiled. "Alright, I guess it really isn't our place to forbid them from going."

"Prodigious!" Izzy exclaimed.

"Yay! Thank you, mama!" The two sisters exclaimed in unison.

"I guess we're patrolling, huh, Tentomon." Palmon spoke up.

Tentomon nodded, "Yup, I can't wait to see my tree house again!"

The Izumi family laughed at Tentomon's remark.

Izzy turned his attention to TK and Kari. "What about you, Kari, TK?"

"I'm all up for it." TK smiled at his friend.

The twins jumped at their father's answer. They were really excited about this whole thing.

"TK may be, but I'm not." She turned to her two sons, "I don't want to risk losing them."

The twins' smiles fell apart.

"Kari…" TK slowly wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and told her, "Don't you think it's a little bit unfair? I mean, we've had two adventures in the digital world and you don't want them to have even one. They're DigiDestined, just like us. You can't keep them away."

"I know, honey. But…" She glanced down to where Gatomon was curled up in a ball, asleep. "After all the friends we've lost, I just don't think they're ready to face that."

TK chuckled, "We were a lot younger than them when we first went to the digital world."

"We had our brothers." Kari replied.

"Hey!" A small and squeaky voice squealed.

"You're forgetting about us!" Another voice joined in.

It was Tokomon and Salamon.

"We're gonna be there protecting them." Tokomon added.

Salamon jumped, "We'll just have to work twice as hard to keep them safe! You can count on us!" He grinned.

"Yeah, momma!" Exclaimed Karu. "There's no need to worry as long as I have Salamon by my side."

"Tokomon will take care of me!" Added JR, "What could go wrong?"

Kari took a while to reply. The five grins were against her. TK signalled Patamon and he, too, joined in. Now, it was six grins against Kari. "Alright, fine. Six boys against one girl isn't fair, you know." Kari stated as she rolled her eyes. She nudged TK and laughed along with him.

"Hey! I'm a _girl_!" Complained Salamon.

Kari chuckled, "Sorry, Salamon. You spend so much time with the boys you've started acting like them."

Salamon shrugged. Karu tickled her resulting in her laughing hysterically.

"Sometimes I feel likes I have 3 kids instead of 2." Kari murmured as she watched TK have a tickle war with the twins.

"Patamon and I will help patrol." Gatomon called out. Apparently, she was never asleep and she listened to the entire conversation.

Izzy grinned and faced the group, "Okay, our Digimon will patrol the area this afternoon and if they say it's safe, tomorrow we may proceed and have lunch in the Digital World."

All the kids but Arashi cheered, "YEAH!"

The brown-haired boy made his way to the window, which had a beautiful view of Odaiba. He took a deep breath in and sighed as he peered through the glass. _"An adventure in the Digital World…"_

* * *

><p>After the meeting, the DigiDestined, both young and old, went back to their respective homes and the Digimon started the patrol.<p>

Agumon, Armadillomon and Veemon patrolled the forest areas.

Biyomon, Hawkmon and Tentomon patrolled the air.

Gabumon and Gomamon patrolled the waters while Patamon, Gatomon and Wormmon patrolled the entire area from the tops of the trees.

At the bottom, Palmon dug her roots into the ground to sense if danger was coming from afar.

* * *

><p>Back in laboratory, Izzy received reports from the Digimon.<p>

"According to the Digimon, the area is as safe as Odaiba. It should be alright for the children to go and explore." He turned to his colleagues.

"I agree. My grandchildren should experience the thrill of the Digital World. I'm not sure what Sora may think though." Haruhiko placed his hand on his chin.

"I'm sure she'll come around." Jim spoke up while organising his research papers.

By this time, Izzy's eldest child was serving tea to her father and his work mates. "Papa," She asked politely, "You didn't exactly state your mind earlier. Do you think it's a good idea for us to go?"

Izzy looked at his daughter with worried eyes. In truth, he hadn't really thought about his daughters in his position so many years ago. He knew that once his daughters and the other children step foot onto the digital world they must take their responsibilities as DigiDestined.

After an agonizing minute of silence, Izzy finally answered. "Yes, I do. All of you are going to face many obstacles but I know you'll all impress us by overcoming them all." He knelt down to his daughter's height and hugged her tightly.

"Papa…" Sachi stood there shocked but after a few seconds, she finally understood what her father meant. She hugged her father back and told him, "Papa, I'm a DigiDestined just like you. If you were able to come home safely, then I can too." Sachi smiled at her father.

"You're a brave little girl, Sachi. You're _my_ brave little girl. You and your sister can't leave me."

"We won't…"

* * *

><p><strong>PRIMARY VILLAGE, INFINITY MOUNTAIN, FILE ISLAND, DIGITAL WORLD<strong>

A night had come and gone after the battle with Cerberumon. Fuyuko attended to her injured partner and the caretaker of Primary Village. Being educated in medicine, she knew exactly which herbs in the digital world she could use for medicine.

"Here you go, Lunamon." Fuyuko slowly fed Lunamon her medicine. Lunamon, at this point, was sitting upright and smiling at her tamer.

"Yuko, when are we leaving?"

"As soon as you get better."

The little Digimon stood up; she wobbled but gained balance when she held on to the wall. She gave a sigh and said, "Well, let's go then. I'm all better, see?"

"No, I don't see. Please sit down and finish your soup." The girl gestured to the small makeshift bed her partner was sitting on a while ago.

The tiny Digimon sat back down and pouted. "I really am fine. We can't stay here, there's no telling what else will come after us! We have to go as soon as possible."

"Exactly, so the more you try and push yourself, the more serious those injuries will become. Going right now will only slow us down." Fuyuko urged in a polite and calm manner.

"Why are you treating me like a child?"

"Because you're acting like one. Please, Lunamon. Sit down so that I may treat your wounds."

Lunamon looked away, trying to hide her tears.

The child saw her Digimon's sadness and took her into her arms. "Please don't cry, little one. We can't leave just yet. Your injuries are too severe and-"

"It's my responsibility to protect you! It's bad enough that I'm physically not able to, must you stop me from trying?" Lunamon interrupted.

Fuyuko was taken aback by the sudden outburst. She regained her calm and spoke gently.

She wiped her friend's tears away. "If it means that I won't lose you, then yes." The girl paused briefly before continuing.

"I know how badly you want to keep me out of danger, but didn't you ever think that seeing you fight saddens me? At any moment, I could lose you. I worry about you every hour of every day. Please, just this once, listen to me and wait." She pleaded.

Lunamon stared into her partner's eyes and looked away. "I'm sorry…"

"It's alright." The young girl gently placed her Digimon down and sat in front of the laptop she brought along.

"According to these instructions, after we're done here, we must head over to the Folder Continent. Once we arrive, we have to make our way to Hospitown."

"It takes days to get to Folder Continent."

"Yes, I know. If that's the case, then we can leave in the morning. There's a boat at the pier and we can use that to travel to the Folder Continent. Since we'll be in the middle of Net Ocean, you can rest on the days we're travelling."

"That's great!" Lunamon's tears have now faded away and grin was placed in its stead. "Have you talked to Elecmon yet? Is he even awake?"

"He should be now. I'll go and check. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Fuyuko entered one of the tents that the Digimon of Primary Village were using. Due to the battle yesterday, most of Primary Village had been destroyed. Inside the tent she entered was a Digimon that goes by the name Elecmon.

"Elecmon, you must have been informed about our arrival." Fuyuko spoke as the red Digimon was eating its food.

Elecmon looked up at the lavender-haired girl. "Of course I was. Gennai said that I needed to give you that." He pointed towards a piece of paper on the ground next to him.

Fuyuko went over and picked the old parchment up. She studied it for a few seconds and concluded, "It's a map." She turned to the Digimon, "Of what?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. Gennai told me to look for that and give it to you once you got here." Elecmon scratched his head and returned to eating his food.

"_Curious… Why would Gennai want me to have a map of a place which I know nothing about?"_ Fuyuko proceeded to the exit.

"Thank you for your help, Elecmon. It was a pleasure meeting you."

"The pleasure's all mine." He waved goodbye and Fuyuko started walking towards the tent where Lunamon was.

* * *

><p><strong>IZUMI LABORATORY, ODAIBA, TOKYO, JAPAN<strong>

It's Sunday morning and the DigiDestined families are slowly making their way to the Izumi Laboratory.

The Izumi family were waiting for the other DigiDestined to arrive in Izzy's lab. Mimi was busy checking if they brought enough food with them. Having her own cooking show taught her to always be prepared. Miki was on the balls of her feet trying to reach the cake her mother made for the picnic. Sachi was brushing her hair before putting on her trademark bow and Izzy was still on his computer typing away as usual.

"Honey, you do know that I completely support your work. I'm very proud of your research. But," Mimi's gentle gaze turned serious and menacing.

"It is Sunday. Sunday is family day. Sunday is a rest day. Which means, I don't want to see you lift a finger for your research." She briefly turned her attention to Tentomon, "That goes for you too!" Then back at her husband, "Am I understood?"

The genius gulped and his Digimon hid behind him, shivering. "Y-yes, sweetheart."

Mimi is generally calm and gentle. However, her temper's been as it always has. According to Izzy, whenever she doesn't get what she wants, he'd rather face Myotismon again.

Sachi and Motimon giggled as the couple bickered. The young Izumi girls and their partner Digimon always loved these little squabbles between Izzy and Mimi parents. They were never serious fights, but they sure were hilarious.

BUZZ

Sachiko gasped and checked her outfit quickly before answering the door. Much to her disappointment, it was Nobu and his parents.

"Oh… H-hi Mr and Mrs Motomiya. Hey, Nobu." She smiled, but not whole-heartedly.

"Not who you expected, Sachi?" A woman about the age of Mimi replied. Veemon and DemiVeemon were both in her arms. "Hello, dear."

Davis huffed and puffed as carried the enormous picnic basket his wife had prepared.

Once the Motomiya family was inside her father's lab, Sachi closed the door behind her.

"H-honey, did we have to bring this much food?" Davis complained as he placed down the picnic basket as softly as he could.

His wife, Tomomi, giggled as she answered her husband, "Of course! Nobu, Veemon and DemiVeemon all need to have their bellies full. I wouldn't want them to eat up all the food and leave none for anyone else!" She gawped.

Nobu turned his attention to the young Izumi girl, "I have this sneaking suspicion that my mom's trying to fatten me up." He whispered.

He and Sachiko laughed together with their Digimon.

BUZZ

The door buzzer interrupted their laughter. Another family had arrived.

Sachi rushed over to the door once more and much to her dismay, it was Naomi.

"HI- Oh… It's you…" Sachi said dully.

Naomi shrugged, "You're nice…" She said sarcastically.

"Sorry, I was expecting someone else." The young Izumi said apologetically.

Mimi stood up and walked over to where her daughter stood. "Hello, Naomi. Are you alone? Where are your parents?"

"They're both busy with work. Mama said that I should still come with Upamon and Armadillomon." The spoiled princess of the Hida family said without once looking at the Izumi family.

"Oh, and she told me to bring this as well." She held out a basket full of food.

Mimi smiled and took the basket from the child. "Thank you." Then she turned to her daughter, "Sachi, why don't know fetch the drinks and serve them to our guests."

Sachi grinned at her mother, "Alright, mama."

A few minutes have passed and two more families had arrived. The Ichijouji family came after Naomi, then after them was the Kido family. They all sat in the waiting room of Izzy's lab. Laughter and chatter echoed throughout the laboratory.

BUZZ

"I'll get it!" Sachi called out as she ran towards the door.

At the door were the three remaining families, the Ishida, the Kamiya and the Takaishi.

"Hello." Sachiko smiled as she welcomed the families in.

"Sorry we took so long. There was a small incident in the Kitchen." Sora spoke sheepishly.

"I wouldn't call it small." Kari added. She and Sora laughed together.

Tai, Matt and TK were bringing in the food while Agumon and Gabumon were busy bringing in the drinks. Sora and Kari had taken a seat next to Yolei and Mimi. Biyomon, Patamon and Gatomon were looking after the kids while they ran to meet up with their friends.

Shin immediately sat in between Miki and Kazuma. Akina and Arashi sat next to Nobu and the three of them started talking about their Saturday.

The older DigiDestined busied themselves with organising the food. The children were starting to complain until Mimi announced, "Everything's ready to go!"

All the DigiDestined children lifted their heads and put a grin on their face. They knew what that meant; they'll finally be able to see the digital world for the first time in years.

"I can't wait to see all the new Digimon! Just imagine, us having lunch near a bunch of Botamon." There was excitement in Akina's voice.

Nobu laughed and added, "Then out of no where, Kuwagamon comes and attacks us." He snuck up behind Amy and, "RAWR!"

"AH!" Amy screamed and ran straight for her older brother but not before giving Nobu a good smack in the head. "B-big brother, Nobu scared me…"

"Ow!" The Motomiya screeched in pain. Then he realized the situation, "Uh-oh…" Nobu's face went pale and he dashed off as Kazumi, being the protective older brother that he is, chased after him.

Arashi approached his best friend, Akina. "I think you two are getting a bit too excited."

The young blonde turned to her attention to Arashi, "Aren't you? We'll finally have the chance to see the Digital World! We're finally going to be real DigiDestined!"

Arashi smiled but worry was in his eyes, "I guess." He held up his hand and stuck out his pinkie. "Promise me that we'll always looks after each other."

"Promise." Akina linked her pinkie with Arashi's and showed him her trademark grin.

"Alright, everyone. Let's go to the Digital World!" Izzy announced.

In unison, everyone yelled, "YEAH!"

* * *

><p><strong>NATIVE FOREST, FILE ISLAND, DIGITAL WORLD<strong>

One by one, the DigiDestined, their Digimon and their family made their way through the portal. They found themselves in the middle of Native Forest on File Island. There was a small clearing and that's where the picnic was to be held.

As they entered the digital world, something incredible happened. The children's Digimon and Digivices all started glowing, except Leafmon, Salamon and Karu's Brown Digivice.

"_YOKOMON DIGIVOLVE TO… __**BIYOMON**__!"_

"_KOROMON DIGIVOLVE TO… __**AGUMON**__!"_

"_DEMIVEEMON DIGIVOLVE TO… __**VEEMON**__!"_

"_TOKOMON DIGIVOLVE TO… __**PATAMON**__!"_

"_BUKAMON DIGIVOLVE TO… __**GOMAMON**__!"_

"_MINOMON DIGIVOLVE TO… __**WORMMON**__!"_

"_MOTIMON DIGIVOLVE TO… __**TENTOMON**__!"_

"_POROMON DIGIVOLVE TO… __**HAWKMON**__!"_

"_UPAMON DIGIVOLVE TO… __**ARMADILLOMON**__!"_

"_TSUNOMON DIGIVOLVE TO… __**GABUMON**__!"_

"_TANEMON DIGIVOLVE TO… __**PALMON**__!"_

All of the in-training Digimon have now Digivolved into their rookie forms.

Salamon grumbled and moaned as she was the only one who did not Digivolve. "That's not fair. Why does everyone get to Digivolve but me?"

Kari approached her son and his Digimon, "Salamon, a few years ago, when Karu first received you, you were a Fresh Digimon like all the others. But, about a year later you Digivolved to your in-training form before the others. By the time they Digivolved to their in-training forms, you had already become a rookie. I don't think you should be bitter about this, I think you're special." She smiled at the tiny Digimon.

"Mom's right, Salamon. You're special and you should be proud." Karu picked up his Digimon partner and hugged her tightly.

"Thanks, Karu. Thanks, Mrs Takaishi." Salamon smiled at the mother and son.

Kazuma approached Kari and tugged on her shirt. "Uhm… Mrs Takaishi, is Leafmon special too? He didn't Digivolve either."

Kari chuckled, "Yes, he is Kazumi. He'll be big and strong, maybe even better, than the other Digimon in time." She smiled at the young boy who had a gigantic grin on his face.

The adults set up the picnic set and the children were gazing at their surroundings. They were all in awe.

Akina sighed. "Wow… This place is beautiful." She gazed upon the bright, blue digital sky. Her newly Digivolved partner crossed her view, "You're beautiful too, Biyomon. You look exactly like mama's, except that you're just a tad bit smaller." The blonde child giggled.

"I couldn't agree anymore. This place is gorgeous." Sachi, also in awe, admired the Fresh Digimon that surrounded her. "Stop. You guys are tickling me!" She laughed and giggled as the baby Digimon sniffed and examined her.

"Sachi! Look, I can fly now!" Exclaimed the excited Tentomon.

Sachiko held out her hand for her Digimon to land on. He was a bit heaver and larger than she expected him to be. She lost balanced and they both fell to the ground laughing. "Oh, Tentomon. I think you gained some weight." She joked.

Even Arashi was intrigued by the fauna that surrounded him. Everyone enjoyed themselves. The children were learning about the digital world while the adults were reminiscing about their childhood. The Digimon were admiring each other's new features. Laughter echoed through the forest.

However, one person didn't join in the laughter. Naomi sat with the rest of the older DigiDestined. While they were talking about the past, she was concentrated on the portal they went through earlier.

"_Papa, where are you?"_ She was desperately waiting for her father to come through the portal. Though, she already knew that was impossible.

Her Armadillomon came up to her and snuggled under he arms. "It'll be fine, Naomi. You should have fun so that you can tell your parents about it when you get home." He smiled in hopes of her mood lightening up.

The young Hida smiled at her partner, "Thanks, Upa- I mean, Armadillomon. I can't believe you Digivolved."

"Do you like my new look?" The yellow Digimon ran in front of his human partner and spun around showing off his new body.

Naomi laughed. "Yes, you look very handsome!" She picked him up and spun around. "I have a rookie of my very own."

CLING!

A sharp sound made by a fork hitting a glass was made. "Children, come! We can start lunch now."

The Digimon rushed to their place. They were more excited about food than anything else. The children, however, were reluctant to come to lunch. They would much rather play in their new playground than eat.

Lunch took about an hour due to the constant stories the older DigiDestined told of their days as children. Everyone enjoyed themselves, including the kids. After lunch, some of the older DigiDestined and Digimon had fallen asleep.

Tai and Davis' snores could be heard all the way at Server Continent. Matt had his right arm over his eyes and his head on Sora's lap as he dozed off.

Asako, Joe's wife, and Tomomi sat under the shade of giant tree. They were busy talking about household chores. As they weren't DigiDestined, they weren't as excited as the others.

The children and their Digimon still had so much energy in them. They played until their heart's content. Miki and Kazumi managed to stray off which led to June and Kazuma chasing after them. Not wanting to be left out, Shin followed as well. No one seemed to notice their absence until later on.

Akina, Nobu and Arashi sat near a small lake they had discovered after a little bit of exploring. Akina and Arashi were leaning against a large tree. Nobu and Veemon were splashing away in the lake. Nobu's brown pants were rolled up to his knees and the sleeves of his yellow short-sleeved shirt were also rolled up to his shoulders.

Biyomon had fallen asleep next to Akina. The little blonde girl was busy playing with her Digimon's wings. Arashi, who leaned against Akina, was fiddling his Digivice and watching his Agumon attempt to catch a butterfly.

Akina felt Arashi's weight got heavier and nudged him. She pushed him over softly. "I'm not your pillow!" She said giggling.

"You're chubby enough to be one." Her best friend said jokingly.

"Hey! You're so nice, Arashi." Akina said sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

The two just kept laughing and Nobu noticed. He and Veemon cupped their hands and filled them with as much water as they could get. Then, they slyly made their way to the two laughing DigiDestined and splashed them!

"Ack, Nobu!" Akina screeched still laughing.

Arashi stood up and started to chase Nobu. "You'll play for that!"

Akina saw Arashi's expression. He wasn't sad right now. He was genuinely happy. _"Arashi, you're smiling with your heart."_

By this time, the two boys have already made their way to the lake and started splashing each other. Agumon and Veemon were helping their tamers win the water fight. Akina saw this and stood from where she was seated.

She yelled out, "Wait for me! I wanna play too!" She was about to run down when, almost instantly, a group of shadows were upon the children.

"Akina!" A voice called out. Akina immediately recognised it to be her brother. She tried to run towards the voice but Nobu grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Nobu let go! I need to get to my brother." She struggled and tried to get out of his grip.

Nobu wouldn't budge and just kept holding on to her.

After a few seconds, Arashi stood beside Akina and whispered in her ear. "Be quiet. We'll find your brother later, right now, we need to concentrate on these things."

However, before they could even react, the shadows jumped at them and knocked them all out cold.

* * *

><p>Back at the campsite, a few more of those shadows have surrounded the adults. They slowly crept closer without anyone taking notice. They seemed to have taken something from the group. Then, they disappeared.<p>

"W-what was that?" Tai suddenly sat up which awoke and shocked the other parents.

"What was what, Tai?" His younger sister questioned him.

Matt sat up as well, he was about to check the time when he noticed something was missing. "Where's my digivice?" He stood up and searched his pockets but found nothing.

"That's strange, you had it when we had lunch." Sora wondered. She then reached for her digivice, but hers, too, was nowhere to be found. "I can't find mine either."

TK stood and searched for his D-3, "Mine isn't with me either." He then searched for his D-Terminal. "My D-Terminal's gone too!"

"It can't be a coincidence that everyone's Digivices and D-Terminals are gone." Ken spoke up.

Izzy finally made a conclusion, "While we were resting, someone or something must have taken them. But who?"

Asako and Tomomi have now joined their husbands. Asako looked around and rose a question, "Honey, where are the kids?"

All the adults' eyes widened. The children were nowhere to be found!

* * *

><p>At the other side of the forest, Kazumi, Wormmon, Gomamon, Gabumon and Palmon were fending off a pack of Ninjamon while June and Leafmon were trying to keep the crying younger children calm. Shin, however, stopped crying and observed the battle from where he stood.<p>

"SILK THREAD!" A blast of incredibly sticky thread came out of Wormmon's mouth and trapped one of the six Ninjamon attacking.

"Arg!" The Ninjamon struggled as Gomamon executed the final blow.

Gomamon dived in the water and jumped back out with a school of colorful fishes joining him. "MARCHING FISHES!" They tackled and brutally beat the life out of the Ninjamon.

The ninja Digimon, who at this point was suspended mid-air, fell to the ground before bursting into a storm of data.

Kazumi yelled out, "G-good job, Gomamon, Wormmon…" He was frozen as he saw the Digimon die right in front of him.

"POISON IVY!" Palmon screamed out her attack as vines from her fingers stretched and stabbed two Ninjamon right in the middle of their chest, this results in them dissolving into the air as data as well.

All of the sudden, a Ninjamon was face to face with the six-year-old Shin. He stood there, frozen. The Digimon was about to launch an attack when Gabumon rushed to his partner's aid and tackled Ninjamon horn first. "HORN ATTACK!"

Gabumon's horn missed the vital organs but it did hit Ninjamon's right ankle. He cringed in pain and retreated into the darkness of the forest.

Shin's jaw dropped, as he stood there frozen with fear. The younger children still kept crying and the two older boys were still in shock.

The Ninjamon made this to their advantage.

* * *

><p>Hikaru and Jirou relaxed and bathed in the digital sunlight at the slope of a tiny hill. Their Digimon were playing tag around them. Giggles were all around the twins.<p>

"Patamon, you can't catch me!" Salamon taunted the little orange Digimon.

Patamon grinned and had a determined look on his face. "Just watch me!"

Karu chuckled, "This is great. It's so relaxing." He gave a sigh and closed his eyes.

JR, who was sitting up, slowly leaned back onto his elbows. "This is amazing. Now, I know what I'm doing after school everyday." The two boys laughed and JR closed his eyes before slowly laying down.

With his eyes closed, JR could tell that the sun was shining brightly. After a few moments, darkness took over.

He couldn't open his eyes; a blindfold stopped him from doing so. "Huh? What's going on?" JR mumbled as he felt himself being carried away.

"JR!" Patamon's voice echoed.

"Patamon! Where are you?" JR struggled a little more. "Karu! Patamon! Salamon! Where are you guys?"

"I wouldn't waste your breath, brat. They can't hear you." A mysterious, croaky voice answered.

* * *

><p>South to where the others were, three panicking girls stood back to back with each other as their respective Digimon stood protectively in front of them.<p>

All the Digimon wore serious faces until Hawkmon yelled out, "Hey! Y-you… uhh… Acorn!"

Armadillomon gave Hawkmon an annoyed look and Tentomon wacked him on the head.

The bird Digimon rubbed the spot where Tentomon hit him. "What was that for? He's an acorn! Just look at him!"

"Oh, be quiet and attack!"

All three Digimon ran towards the three Ninjamon that surrounded them. They launched their attacks simultaneously. However, the ninja Digimon came out of each attack unscathed.

"T-that's impossible!" Naomi's eyes grew wide and began to tear up. _"Papa… I need you"_

One of the three Ninjamon that surrounded the girls started to run at the speed of light. He drew out a giant shuriken and, almost instantly, he threw it directly at the three DigiDestined. "NINJA KNIFE THROWING!"

The girls screamed as the weapon that was on its way to them destroyed everything on its path. They all closed their eyes and waited for the inevitable.

After that, everything went black.

* * *

><p>Back at camp, panic arose.<p>

Izzy was typing away on his laptop trying to find where the kids and their digivices have gone. Tai and Matt were behind him, though obviously not following all the technical talk Izzy was mumbling.

Mimi had turned hysterical after the hour of her children's absence. She'd occasionally look over Izzy's shoulders but would just break down and cry every now and then. The guys finally had to keep her away because she was worrying Izzy too much. Kari wasn't any better; she dug her face in her hands while TK tried desperately to calm her down.

At least Mimi and Kari were quiet about their worry. Yolei was anything but quiet. "KEN! I WANT MY SONS AND DAUGHTER HERE RIGHT NOW! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY, I AM GOING INTO THE FOREST TO LOOK FOR THEM WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR HELP!" She'd been going at that for half an hour. Ken kept pulling her back to camp once she stormed off to the forest.

Davis was given the job of calming Asako and Tomomi down. Poor guy… He also had the responsibility of telling the Hida couple about their daughter. Hitomiko, Cody's wife, couldn't seem to have cared less. Cody hasn't been informed yet. He had kept his phone on silent while he went about his lawyer business.

Sora was pacing back and forth. You could visibly see her hands shaking with worry. Matt saw this and stood from where he was seated. He walked over to his wife and hugged her tightly.

"Everything's going to be alright. We'll find Akina and Shindou. They're going to be safe at home soon and this will all be over." He said softly. Sora closed her eyes as she cried her first tear after her children's disappearance. She dug her crying face in Matt's shirt soaking it.

"Prodigious!" Izzy exclaimed, startling Tai. "I've found a way to contact the children's D-Terminals through my laptop."

Everyone lifted their head and smiles began to show. It was rudely interrupted by a long BEEP.

BEEEEP

"That didn't sound good." The worried Mimi whispered. "Honey, please tell me that was good."

Izzy's eyes widened. He turned to his wife, "My laptop's battery if about to die."

"Meaning?" Matt urged.

Izzy released a sigh. "We can only contact one of the children before I'm out of battery."

"That's not bad, at least we can find out where they are." Tai added.

"Yes, but the children weren't together when we last saw them. They broke into different groups." The saddened Sora conveyed.

Joe stepped forward. "I think we should call Akina."

Matt and Sora's eyes were stuck on Joe.

He continued, "As much as I'd love to hear my kid's voices and know that they're safe, I think we should call the most reliable of all of our children. The way I see it, Akina is really the only one who can keep her cool in tough situations."

He paused and wiped a tear off his wife's face. "Asako, I know you're worried, but Akina is our only hope of finding June."

"I understand. Let's call her." Asako wiped her tears away.

Izzy nodded and typed away on his laptop.

_**To be continued…**_


End file.
